This is my FIRST update today, and I am having fun fun fun fun fun. :) Love this story! :D Enjoy chapter 8!

Valka and Astrid met up with Snotlout. After finding nothing in his area, they met up with Fishlegs. So far, no sign of anything, except the fact that they were indeed planning a war. No sign of when they were attacking. No sign of Hiccup.

"What should we do now?" said Astrid. She was worried as much as everyone else was if not more. Hiccup was missing on the island of their new enemy, and although he had told Astrid he would escape and meet up with them, there was no telling where he was and what he was doing.

He was Hiccup. Astrid's idea of one thing could have meant the exact opposite of what Hiccup's idea of that same thing was.

"I don't know," said Fishlegs. "We should probably find Hiccup, shouldn't we?"

"I don't know," said Snotlout. "I mean, he has Toothless with him, doesn't he? Nothing can happen so long as that Night Fury's with him. I mean...seriously, he's a Night Fury!"

"I didn't say I doubted Toothless," said Valka. "But Hiccup should have met up with us by now. It's not like him to just...not tell anyone what he is doing."

"What if he was captured?" said Fishlegs. "If he was captured, he can't tell us anything at all. Have you ever thought of that?"

"Yes," said Astrid. "Exactly why I'm worried. We have to go..." She gasped suddenly. "Get down!" she shouted in a harsh whisper. Instantly, the riders turned their dragons and ducked behind trees. The riders dismounted and hid in the bushes, looking at what Astrid had shouted about.

It was a group of maybe fifty male soldiers, clad in heavy armor, weapons strapped at their sides. They were carrying torches in one hand, shields in the other. The only female was the one in the front, leading them. Long, wavy blonde hair tossed over her shoulders, black armor glittering in the torchlight, face contorted in a sneer; angry and bitter, one hand holding a shield, the other gripping a sword to the point where her knuckles were white.

"Come on," the girl ordered. Her voice was full of hatred, anger, and bitterness. "He shouldn't be too hard to find, what with that dart we hit him with."

"Hiccup," Astrid whispered to Valka. "That girl must be Lilya."

"Yes ma'am, Lilya the Maniacal," one of the soldiers saluted, followed by the others in a rapid session.

"Good," said Lilya, turning to face her soldiers, the evil gleam never leaving her eyes. "If you see Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, I don't care what it takes. Kill him on spot. Don't give him a chance to speak. Kill him as soon as you see him. We'll head North and look there first, and then go to the West, then South, and then East. Keep your crossbows ready. Let's move, people!"

Then, they tore through the forest quicker than Terrible Terrors scattering away from a dragon bigger than they. The Berkians and their dragons watched them in hiding until they were out of sight, their torchlight mostly gone.

Astrid jumped out of her hiding spot, Valka, Snotlout, Fishlegs and the dragons doing the same, standing behind her, watching as the very last light of the torches vanished into the darkness.

"What did they say about a dart?" said Fishlegs.

"Sleeping darts, most likely," said Astrid. "And they spoke of hitting Hiccup with one."

"And they said clearly - maybe a bit indirectly - that they were searching for Hiccup too, didn't they?" said Fishlegs. Everyone else nodded, eager to hear his point. "Meaning he's not in custody, and they don't know where he is."

"But if he was flying Toothless when he was knocked out, they would have crashed," said Snotlout. "Toothless can't fly on his own, and if Hiccup wasn't conscious, it just makes sense. Where would they have been heading after escaping Lilya?"

"Probably to one of the compass points," said Astrid. "North, South, East, or West. They wouldn't have stayed where they were if they were being hunted, they would have left, come to us, told us we were leaving and such."

"What are you suggesting we do?" Valka questioned. Astrid could tell by her voice that Valka was terrified; and really, it wasn't hard to see why. Her son - the last surviving member of her family besides herself - was in danger, being hunted by people who wanted to kill him.

"We have to split up," said Astrid. "Fishlegs, you go West. I'll go North. Snotlout, you go South, and Valka, you search East. We'll meet at South in half an hour, if all goes well. Ready?"

The others nodded.

"Then let's head out," said Astrid. She and the others mounted their dragons quickly, and then they took to the sky, heading to their assigned areas. Astrid looked below as she flew towards the North side of the island, and then saw the torchlights of Lilya and her men. She flew ahead of them overhead and scanned the North area with her eyes. Then, she swooped low enough to just barely catch some of Lilya's words;

"Nothing here. We'll head West." That was it. Nothing else. Astrid didn't know what she was supposed to do except keep looking. Fishlegs would be okay at the West side. He knew what he was doing. She continued to search the North side, hoping against all odds that Hiccup was okay.

...

Hiccup came to himself with a groan. He stood up, putting a hand against his head and willing the throbbing to stop. Once it did, he looked around. Toothless was standing beside him, nudging him. Hiccup hugged the dragon, and then went back to assessing the area.

"Are you okay, bud?" he asked Toothless. Toothless answered by licking him. Hiccup smiled, and then looked at himself, making sure he hadn't received any injuries. "I think I'm okay, too," he said. "But we have to get out of here, and meet up with the others. They're probably wondering where we are. I'm going to be hearing it from Astrid and Mom as soon as I get back."

Toothless cooed in agreement, and then motioned for Hiccup to mount. Judging by the dizziness he felt, Hiccup didn't think it was a good idea to go dragon back at that point. They would just crash again, and maybe receive different results the second time.

"I don't think I can control your tailfin right now. We'll have to walk, buddy," he said. Toothless looked as disappointed as Hiccup felt. They both were desperate to get off Hysteria, but they also both knew flying wasn't going to work at that moment.

Then, Hiccup heard a twig snap. Instantly, he had his shield in crossbow form, and arrow ready to fire, aiming it at the dark, approaching figures. One of them was almost shaped like a dragon, but he couldn't trust himself to believe it was one of the riders yet. Lilya had said plainly that she had forced dragons to do her bidding in the past. He wasn't trusting this one quite yet.

...

Fishlegs walked on the West side of the island, wondering where Hiccup was. He stepped on a stick, hating the rather loud cracking noise it made. He stopped as soon as he heard it, and then was greeted by another sound; the sound of metal against metal, like an arrow sliding into a crossbow...

Then he looked to the side, and saw Hiccup, his shield in crossbow form, aiming right at him, ready to fire it.